BRISBANE has pulled no punches for Saturday’s power struggle with Melbourne, as Courtney Hodder returns from a quad injury, while Adelaide regains spearhead Caitlin Gould for the 2025 Showdown, and Richmond loses a young star to injury.

Hodder was a late out for the Lions’ win over Essendon last week, and replaces an injured Sophie Peters in the side.

In-form Tiger Ellie McKenzie will miss Richmond’s date with Fremantle through injury, as does former Swan Montana Beruldsen.

Chloe Molloy will not return from a back concern that kept her on the sidelines last week, despite suggestions she would be available earlier in the week, with just one change for Sydney as experienced forward Bec Privitelli earns a reprieve in lieu of an omitted Caitlin Reid.

The Crows have made a statement, omitting No.1 ruck Jess Allan from the Showdown team, with Gould returning from a nasty broken wrist, and Rachelle Martin is back in place of Stevie-Lee Thompson, who has been dropped again.

Port Adelaide remains unchanged as it aims to win its first Showdown.

Ruck duo Lucy Wales (appendix) and Jess Vukic (concussion protocols) will be absent from Hawthorn’s meeting with arch-rival Essendon on Saturday. Small forward pair Hayley McLaughlin and Kristy Stratton have also been dropped from the side.

Former Brisbane, Carlton, and St Kilda player Nat Exon will come in for the Hawks as a top up player, given the club’s injury challenges. Exon has been playing VFLW for Hawthorn affiliate Box Hill since being delisted by the Saints at the end of last year. Najwa Allen also returns from a long-term hamstring injury and Mikayla Williamson is also back from her own hamstring concern.

Blaithin Mackin offers Melbourne a boost, after missing the last eight matches with calf and knee injuries. Her fellow countrywoman Sinead Goldrick misses with an eye injury, and first-year forward Maggie Mahony has come in for an omitted Lily Johnson.

Richmond has confirmed its first ever Irish player to take to the field, with Aoibhin Cleary (pronounced Aye-veen) to make her AFLW debut on Saturday. Cleary only arrived in Australia in mid-August following the All-Ireland championship game in which she captained her county Meath.

Reigning Western Bulldogs best and fairest winner Isabelle Pritchard has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury, with captain De Berry, former No.1 pick Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Naomi Ferres, and Analea McKee all added to the side’s extended squad to face Geelong on Sunday.

Important key forward Tara Bohanna has been included in Carlton’s extended Sunday squad, hopeful she will make her return from a foot issue. Maddie Torpey has been omitted.

North Melbourne has confirmed that it will debut young gun Ella Slocombe in its clash with St Kilda in Tasmania on Sunday. Slocombe was selected with pick No.26 in the 2023 Telstra AFLW draft, and has had to bide her time as part of the Roos’ deep list. Hailing from Western Australia, she can impact both in attack and through the midfield.

Roos coach Darren Crocker signalled last week that he would consider resting players given the five-day turnaround heading into round 12, coming off travel to Tasmania, so former captain Emma Kearney has been ruled out of Sunday’s match.

The Saints have lost Bec Ott to a partially torn achilles, further exacerbating a swollen injury list, but Jaimee Lambert is in line make her return from a calf concern.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24

Adelaide v Port Adelaide at Norwood Oval, 7.05pm ACDT

ADELAIDE

In: C.Gould, R.Martin
Out: J.Allan (omitted), S.Thompson (omitted)

PORT ADELAIDE

In: Nil
Out: Nil

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

Sydney v West Coast at Henson Park, 1.05pm AEDT

SYDNEY

In: R.Privitelli
Out: C.Reid (omitted)

WEST COAST

In: K.Kavanagh
Out: A.Bushby (calf)

Essendon v Hawthorn at Windy Hill, 3.05pm AEDT

ESSENDON

In: M.MacLachlan, A.Gladman
Out: G.Brooker (injured), M.Van Dyke (omitted)

HAWTHORN

In: N.Allen, M.Williamson, N.Exon
Out: H.McLaughlin (omitted), J.Vukic (concussion), K.Stratton (omitted)

Fremantle v Richmond at Fremantle Oval, 2.05pm AWST

FREMANTLE

In: Nil
Out: Nil

RICHMOND

In: M.Shevlin, A.Cleary
Out: E.McKenzie (injured), M.Beruldsen (calf)

Brisbane v Melbourne at Brighton Homes Arena, 6.15pm AEST

BRISBANE

In: C.Hodder
Out: S.Peters (concussion)

MELBOURNE

In: B.Mackin, M.Mahony
Out: S.Goldrick (eye), L.Johnson (omitted)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26

Western Bulldogs v Geelong at Mars Stadium, 1.05pm AEDT

WESTERN BULLDOGS

In: D.Berry, K.Weston-Turner, N.Ferres, A.McKee
Out: I.Pritchard (injured)

GEELONG

In: B.Smith, M.McDonald, B.O’Rourke
Out: Nil

North Melbourne v St Kilda at North Hobart Oval, 1.05pm AEDT

NORTH MELBOURNE

In: A.Hetherington, C.Mahony, G.Stubs, E.Slocombe
Out: E.Kearney (managed)

ST KILDA

In: R.Caris, J.Lambert, N.Barr, L.Hung
Out: R.Ott (Achilles)

Carlton v Greater Western Sydney at Ikon Park, 3.05pm AEDT

CARLTON

In: S.O’Connell, T.Bohanna, A.Reidy, M.Austin
Out: M.Torpey (omitted)

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: C.Ransom, V.Saad, A.Newman, E.Brown
Out: A.Eva (toe)

Gold Coast v Collingwood at Bond University, 3.05pm AEST

GOLD COAST

In: C.Fitzpatrick, E.Veerhuis, K.Fullerton, T.Gregory
Out: J.Stanton (injured)

COLLINGWOOD

In: M.Hyde, S.Karlson, A.Porter, C.Taylor, E.James
Out: K.Hogan (knee), G.Clark (concussion)